Technology-led, carbon-neutral firm secures funding to expand regional facilities and create up to 40 new jobs in the North East.
The Storage Place Ltd has secured a £400,000 investment co-led by The Finance Durham Fund, established by Durham County Council, and overseen by Business Durham, and the North East Development Capital Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
Both funds are managed by Maven and the transaction comprises a £200,000 investment from each fund. The investment will enable the business to expand in County Durham, opening a new facility to more than double its capacity and create up to 40 new jobs in the region.
A carbon-neutral certified company, TSP operates warehouses across the UK and has over 500,000 sq ft of UK fulfilment space. The business was originally founded as a warehousing and distribution firm for heavy industry and automotives in 2002. As the proliferation of e-commerce and Amazon rapidly gathered pace, TSP recognised the need for such services and shifted its model to support this development and focuses solely on e-retail order fulfilment.
The business specialises in end-to-end services, from the management of stock from suppliers, through to order processing and delivering to the end customer. It also offers software integration, which connects with a range of channels and services, such as Amazon, Magento and Shopify, and works with an extensive network of carriers including Royal Mail, DPD, Parcel Force, DX, DHL, TNT, Palletline and Evri.
With latest figures from the ONS showing that internet sales now represent 25% of all retail sales in the UK, this has driven the demand for e-commerce fulfilment services, both domestically and worldwide. The global e-commerce fulfilment market is expected to reach $168.72 billion by 2028.
TSP is led by a highly experienced and skilled management team and run by Michael Meredith (Executive Chair) and Paul Griffiths (Managing Director), both local to the area.
Michael Vassallo, Investment Director at Maven, said: “The Storage Place is a fast-growing and highly profitable business in an exciting space. As e-commerce and Amazon remain as popular as ever with consumers, Paul and the team have strategically developed the business into a reliable, cost-effective order fulfilment service provider operating in a market with exponential growth. This investment is an opportunity to back a great local business with the added benefit of significant economic development for County Durham and the wider North East.”
Paul Griffiths, Managing Director of Storage Place, said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment from Maven to help us grow our business, expand our regional operations and create more jobs for the area. Both Michael and I local to the region and excited to expand even further across the North East and support further job growth.”
Cllr James Rowlandson, Portfolio holder for resources, investment and assets at Durham County Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Storage Place to Peterlee. In the County Durham Inclusive Economic Strategy, we recognise the importance of productivity and the Storage Place is an excellent example of how companies can differentiate themselves from the competition by investing in the latest systems and technology.”
“Through the team at Business Durham and the Finance Durham Fund, it is our aim to encourage good business practices and support businesses with the most potential for growth in the county. We encourage more businesses looking to invest in the county to follow suit and access the funding opportunities and support available.”
Maven is one of the UK’s most active private equity investors and is passionate about working with ambitious businesses to achieve their strategic goals and maximise growth potential. If your business, or the business you advise, is looking at private equity as a solution to fund future growth we would love to hear from you. Speak to one of our investment team by getting in touch at funding@mavencp.com